Wardrobe.



No. 65|,344. Pmnwiv :une l2, |900. T. m. mLs.

`wAnDRoBE.

(Application mea Nov. u, 1899.)

(Mandel.)

*By r W.

NiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS MOORE DILS, .OF DAVENPORT, IOlV-A.

WARDROBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,344, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed November 11,1899. Serial No. 736,653. (No model.)

To all whom, it' may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MOORE Dus,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Vardrobe, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to wardrobes; and one object in view is to provide what may be termed a hanging wardrobe, or, in other words, a wardrobe which is adapted to be suspended or swung either from a side wall or an overhead support, such as a ceiling.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a folding, collapsible, and extensible structure which may be compactly folded for storage or transportation and which may be readily set up in position for use and which is also capable of being expanded or increased or diminished in size according to requirements.

While the device is especially designed for use as a wardrobe, it is well adapted to be used'as a closet, to which a person may retire for changing his clothing without observation on the part Of the other occupants of the room. It is also designed for use as a canopy, enabling a lounge to be placed within the saine and beneath the top thereof, the drapery or canopy-cover serving to protect the lounge and occupant thereof from ies and other winged insects and also to exclude light.

Other objects and advantages of the inven-` tion will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in a hanging Wardrobe embodying certain `novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hanging wardrobe constructed in accordance with this invention, showing the cover or canopy in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the extensible bow, showing the manner of associating the sections thereof with each other and with the upper portions of the hinged brackets. Fig.

3 is a plan View of one of the curtain-rests. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the shelves,

showing the manner in which it is connected with the back of the wardrobe.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The wardrobe contemplated in this invention `is adapted to be hung from a side wall or overhead support and when taken down to be compactly folded for storage or transportation. To this end the wardrobe comprises a flexible back which is constructed of a vertical series of horizontally-disposed parallel slats or sections l, the longitudinal adjoining edges of which are spaced slightly apart, so as to enable the sections to be folded upon eachother or rolled into a compact bundle. The slats 1 are attached at their ends by means of connections 2, which may consist of links, rods, ropes, or wires, the opposite ends of which are fastened by means of screws 3 or equivalent devices to the extremities of the slats, as shown in Fig. 1. Any desired number of slats may be employed, according to the height of back desired, and said slats, as well as certain other parts of the wardrobe, may be either of wood or metal or in the form of wire frames, as may be found expedient. The slats are also divided centrally, as shown at 4, and the sections thereof are connected by hinges 5, so that the sections of the slats may be folded at right angles to each other to adapt the wardv -robe to fit into the corner of a room, for ex- 'The bow extends outward in front of the back, and as it is lengthened by means of the connection described the bow is caused to ICO project a greater distance from the back, so

as to provide more space within v the cover,

which hangs over the bow in a manner hereinafterdeseribed. The bow-sections are also provided with other slide-collars 1l, which embrace the upper horizontal curved portions 12 of a pair of side brackets 13. The brackets 13 are provided at their upper ends with hooks or pintles 14, which engage one of the tubular portions 15 of the socket-plate 9, and at their lower ends they have their pintles 16, which engage eyes 17 in a pair of semicircular curtain-rests 1S, secured to the lower edge of the bottom slat of the back. These curtain-rests are provided at intermediate points with eyes 19 to receive suitable fasteners, such as screws, by means of which the curtain-rests are connected to the bottom slat. The curtain-rests are adapted to receive and hold the lower portions of the curtains 20 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1) when said curtains are drawn back to give access tothe interior of the wardrobe in a manner that will be readily understood.

From the above description it will be seen that as the how is lengthened or shortened the side brackets are correspondingly moved outward or inward on their hinged connection with the back, the said brackets being coupled to the extensible bow by the slidecollars 11. In some eases it is desirable to provide a stationaryr or non-extensible bow 21, which is provided with termin al eyes 22,adapted to receive fasteners, by which it is secured to the upper edge of the top slat. The fasteners employed are preferably in the form of staples 23, which will enable the stationary bow to he folded tlatwise against the back when making the wardrobe up into a bundle. 2l designates an arch having terminal eyes 25 to receive staples, by means of which the terminal eyes are secured against the back of the top Slat. The arch may, if desired, be provided with a suspending-eye 26 in order to hang the device from a wall or ceiling.

l The curtain or cover 2O is secured along its upper edge to the arch 24E and hangs over the extensible bow 7 and brackets 13. Suspending wires or ropes 27 are connected to the upper slat of the back by means of suitable fasteners 28 and are provided at their upper ends with terminal eyes 29 to receive suitable fasteners, which may be inserted into a side wall or into the studding thereof or into overhead joists or ceilings for suspending the device as a whole therefrom. Connected to the lower slat by means of hinges 30 is a bottom shelf 3l, which is upheld in horizontal position by means of hooks By disengaging the hooks the shelf 3l maybe folded against the bottom slat or against the back when not required in use or when it is desired to fold the wardrobe.

In connection with the side brackets 13 and wardrobe-back I employ a plurality of shelves the forward end of each of which is secured to the bracket 13 by means of a' screw or other suitable fastener 3st, passing through an eye 35, lformed by ceiling or looping the wire of the bracket, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The inner end of the shelf is provided with a depending pintle 36, rigidly attached thereto and adapted to enter a socket-piece 37,secured to the wardrobe-back. As the pintle 36 extends vertically it will not interfere with the swinging movements ofthe brackets 13 as they are moved outward and inward by the bow 7 when it is extended or contracted in length.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a hanging wardrobe which may be supported either on aside wall or ceiling or other overhead support, thus not interfering with the floor-space beneath, allowing the iioor to be sweptwithout moving the wardrobe. A lounge may also be placed beneath the wardrobe and within the cover or drapery thereof, so that the two articles mayoccupy the same vertical space. The back may be provided with any suitable number of garment-hooks 38 for supporting various articles of clothing, while the shelves will support other articles not capable of being suspended on hooks. The device also affords an admirable screen, behind which a person may retire for changing the clothing without danger of observation on the part of the other occupants of the room. Then a lounge is arranged under the drapery, light may be excluded to any desired extent, and the oceu pant of the lounge may be protected from flies, mosquitos, the. By means of the extensible bow and hinged side brackets the space within the structure may be increased or diminished, according to necessity. The device may also be employed with advantage in stores, offices, and other public places for displaying goods which it is desirable to protect from dust'. The wardrobe also provides ample shelf-room without taking up valuable space. By hinging the sections of the slats centrallyof the back the back may be partially folded, so as to adapt it to fit into the corners or angles of rooms.

The wardrobe is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and will be found desirable in practice. Some of the parts of the wardrobe-sueh as, for example, the side brackets, extensible and non-extensible bows, and the arch-may be composed either of wood or metal in sheet form and also in the form of wire, according to preference.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or saeriticin g any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimeglas new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

l. A device of the class described comprising a back, an extensible bow having meml'OO IOS

IIO

bers connected to said back and arranged in overlapping relation, the slides frictionally engaging with the overlapped bow members and providing for extension and retraction thereof to vary the curvature of said bow, and a canopy or cover draped over thc bow, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a back, a hanger attached to and extending upwardly from the back, a bow extending forwardly from the back, side drapery rods or brackets extending from said bow toward the sides of the back, and a canopy connected to the hanger and draped over the bow and the side drapery-rods, substantially as described. v

3. A device of the class described comprising a back, drapery rods or brackets extending from the sides to the front of the back, an extensible bow connected to the back, and means connecting the bow-sections with said drapery rods or brackets, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a back, an extensible bow connected at its ends thereto and having members slidably related to each other, a non-extensible auxiliary bow also connected to the back,and means for suspending the entire device,substantially as described.

5. An expansible hanging wardrobe, comprising a back, an extensible bow connected thereto and comprising curved overlapping and relatively-slidable sections, side brackets hinged to the back and slidingly connected to the bow, and a canopy or cover adapted to be hung over the bowand side brackets, substantially as described.

6. An expansible hanging wardrobe, comprising a back, an extensible bow connected thereto and comprising curved overlapping and relatively slidable sections, and side brackets hinged to the back and slidingly coupled to the sections of the bow which overlap and slide upon each other, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

7. A hanging wardrobe, comprising a back composed of a plurality of parallel slats dis- CIO posed horizontally and having their ends attached to each other by iexible connections, an extensible bow at or near the upper end of the back, side brackets hinged to the top and bottom of the back, and means connecting the side brackets with the extensible bow, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. A hanging wardrobe, comprising a back composed of a plurality of parallel horizontal slats flexibly connected at their ends', each slat comprising two sections hinged together at the center of the back whereby the end portions of the slats maybe set substantially at right angles to each other for adapting the Wardrobe to t into a corner or angle, an extensible bow at or near the upper end of the back, and side brackets hinged to the back and-cou pled to said bow, substantially as described.

9. A hanging wardrobe, comprising a back, an arch forming a support for a canopy or cover, an extensible bow connected to the back at or near the top thereof, curtain-rests connected to the lowerrnost sl-at and provided with eyes, socket-plates at or near the top of the back, and side brackets having Vertical pintles inserted in said eyes and socket-plates, said brackets being coupled to the extensible bow, substantially as and for the purpose specified. l y

10. Ahan'gingwardrobe,comprisingaback, socket-plates thereon, an extensible bow projecting in front of the same and connected thereto, brackets having projecting portions and hinged to the back on vertical axes, and shelves connected at one end to the projecting portions ofthe brackets and having 'at their inner ends vertical pintles which are inserted in the socket-plates on the back, substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence ot' two Witnesses. A

T'HoMAs Mooier: DILs.

Witnesses:

FRED HEINZ, R. L. COTTON. 

